After concluding their three-week, two city road trip, Chivas USA returned to the StubHub Center’s Field 6 for their first training session in the Los Angeles area since mid February. The Red-and-White currently find themselves in the final week of training ahead of the 2014 Major League Soccer season opener against the Chicago Fire this Sunday at the StubHub Center starting at noon (PT).

To start off the session, Chivas USA Head Coach Wilmer Cabrera spoke with the group about the importance of the week’s activities. In good spirits after finishing off their preseason play with an undefeated record in eight matches, the team broke into a light jog around the pitch. Following the brief jog, the squad then proceeded to complete stretching exercises, followed by conditioning exercises along the sideline.

Once the Red-and-White were properly warmed up, Assistant Coach Paul Caffrey lead the team in a ball passing drill that consisted of long-range passes, crosses and shooting on goal with goalkeepers Dan Kennedy and Tim Melia working to keep their nets untouched. The squad then moved on to participate in a tactical intersquad, with the objective of applying defensive pressure, while the other side looked to stay in possession.

Before calling it a day, Cabrera and Caffrey worked on the game plan with a group of players. The coaches were able to observe the qualities of each of the players in their effort to form their starting lineup for Sunday’s contest. Cabrera spent time with one group and would also go on to work with the remaining players on set pieces and shooting on goal.

The Red-and-White will return to practice on Thursday morning for their second session of the week. Sunday’s season opener against the Fire will kick off at noon (PT) at the StubHub Center and will be televised nationally on UniMas. The match will also be broadcast in Spanish on ESPN Deportes 1330 AM. For all the latest news and updates, follow the club on Twitter and Facebook. Tickets to the Red-and-White’s opener are available for purchase at www.cdchivasusa.com/tickets or by calling 1-877-CHIVAS1.